Arfo Biotype for Nile Monitor...

[ermgravy]

Hey guy's. so its upgrade time for my monitor and im want to get away from papper substrate and random decoration and get it looking A LOT more Natural...

now to start with His new enclosure is a 3x2x2 tank. Simply because i had one and it'll be a year max before he is outa here and into a 10x3x5.

The humidity and mould issue i plan on solving with a premaritally running stream in his viv, long storage box with flow and control from a fluval 305 i have spare...

so my main questions are Really for anyone who has done an afro biotype before:

How to achieve the reddish earth colour seen in most nile shots? what sort of rock did you use? i have lost of slate but it dosent look right for the location... and what sort of plants other than grasses are appropriate to use???

Heres a shot of the mess his viv is in now, as you can see it really needs attention quick:



what idd like would be a scaled down adaption of this sort of biotype from Tanzania

 

[A. gigas]

No monitor should ever be on paper, best substrate by far is a 50/50 playsand/soil mix, and make it deep enough he can dig around in it. Also just put a bunch of cork bark pieces, it usually turns out looking nicer than you would expect. Thing with monitors is that you can forget any idea of having a nice, well designed and naturalistic setup. They destroy it in a heartbeat, unless the enclosure is gigantic. Go for functionality, not looks, and the result will be much better.

 

[Wiggles92]

Is this what you were looking for as far as the dirt color goes?



That's Zoo Med Excavator Clay, by the way; not cheap by a long shot, but you could probably mix it with something else to get the desired effect.

For rocks, I would imagine that you want ones like the ones this Nile monitor is on:



Those rocks appear to be granite, so see if there's a landscaping supply company or quarry that can sell you some.

Also, I would skip the plants; just buy some nice African driftwood instead and make it a hardscape with wood and rocks.

 

[ermgravy]

first yes i said im well aware of requirements to properly house a monitor and this isnt perminatnt by anymeans, like i said above i need suggestions to go fin it today...
CAN U SEE A MONITOR IN THERE?????

 

[ermgravy]

Is this what you were looking for as far as the dirt color goes?

View attachment 742262

That's Zoo Med Excavator Clay, by the way; not cheap by a long shot, but you could probably mix it with something else to get the desired effect.

For rocks, I would imagine that you want ones like the ones this Nile monitor is on:

View attachment 742266

Those rocks appear to be granite, so see if there's a landscaping supply company or quarry that can sell you some.

Also, I would skip the plants; just buy some nice African driftwood instead and make it a hardscape with wood and rocks.

sweet that exactly what im looking for... yeah 6-8" of a 3x2x2 is going to be a lot of dirt, ima mix some sand and dirt in, it can be less reddy for my liking just to give the feel of what i think when i think afro biotype...

i think as far as plants ima stick to grasses maybe even fake if i can find nice ones...
maybe sum vines and over hanging palm leaves as that biotype pic but yh try and keep plants simple!